Preston student creates innovative cooking product

A car fanatic from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has been inspired to offset his carbon footprint with the design of an innovative cooking product.

Daniel Philips, a BSc (Hons) Product Design student from Preston, has developed an outdoor pressure cooker, which was on display at the University’s annual degree show.

His idea was born out of the frustration of running out of gas when camping at music festivals and car shows, so the former Southport College student decided to create a compact cooking solution to be used outdoors.

With a design focused on low cost, Daniel’s product boasts a number of practical benefits that would appeal to any camping enthusiast. Most significantly, the fuel can be sourced in the outdoors in the form of sticks, twigs and wood but you could use a solid fuel. The collapsible product is also portable as it folds within itself, has storage space inside and even provides its own plates.

“The aim of this product is to provide a more wholesome outdoor cooking experience. I couldn’t understand why this idea has not been used before; it’s one of the oldest forms of cooking.”

Influenced by his background research, Daniel originally felt the practical nature of his product would lend itself to military use. However, he quickly realised there was a space for this in the commercial market and admits his surprise that his idea is not already out there.

“The aim of this product is to provide a more wholesome outdoor cooking experience. I couldn’t understand why this idea has not been used before; it’s one of the oldest forms of cooking.”

The 22-year-old is planning on returning to UCLan to study for an MA in Product Design and in the future hopes to enjoy a career in automotive design. Given his interest in cars, Daniel’s sense of responsibility to protect the environment has influenced a lot of his work.

He said: “I have a passion for cars, particularly Mini’s and I feel that the work I’ve done has increased my technical understanding which has been of great benefit to my design work. While I’m a self-proclaimed petrol head, I understand the environmental impact of my actions and recognise the need for change which we as designers can really help to encourage.”